Infertility Support Group
In vitro fertilization is one of the most common and utilized ways of treating conception problems. This support group is dedicated to those beginning their journey with IVF and needing support. Join the community and share your experiences, advice, and story with people going through similar challenges starting a family.
Hi everyone,
I just joined this discussion group. We waited until last year to try to have kids -- I was going to grad school and we were moving around, trying to find secure jobs (get health insurance, and all that). For about 1 year and 4 mo. we've been trying to get pregnant. No luck. Before we started trying I did a check up at the gyn. Everything looked good. No ovarian cycts. Normal blood work. Just moved to MD and got a new gyn. Told her we'd been trying for more than a year. She said to try another 3 mo. and then come back and she'd prescribe Clomid. Didn't like her much... and didn't like her idea to wait another 3 mo. before trying anything.
About 3 mo. later I sought out a fertility clinic. The doc is one of the friendliest and most competent specialists I've ever come across. His degree from Johns Hopkins and he's in his early 50s, w a lot of experience. Asked my husband to do a sperm wash and I did blood work (to check hormone levels) and an HSG. Everything looks o.k. For years, I've worried that I may have endometriosis, but I've never had it verified.
My question is about what to do next. The doc is saying that, for the quickest and best results, we should just go straight ahead and do in vitro. He says we could do a laparoscopy to check for endometriosis, but the procedure may or may not give us more info. And if he finds and removed scar tissue ... that may or may not solve the problem. He says that taking Clomid would increase my monthly fertility chances from about 18% to about 25% per cycle. And it wouldn't help if there are any undiagnosed problems. My health insurance covers IVF, so this would be the most effective course of action. He says that his office has a 40% pregnancy success rate per IVF. His logic sounds convincing to me.
But my husband is suspicious. He thinks that docs always want to start out with surgery because "that's how they make money." I want to get pregnant soon. The clock is ticking. What do you think? Is IVF a good first treatment, or should it be reserved for later, after other things have been tried?
I just joined this discussion group. We waited until last year to try to have kids -- I was going to grad school and we were moving around, trying to find secure jobs (get health insurance, and all that). For about 1 year and 4 mo. we've been trying to get pregnant. No luck. Before we started trying I did a check up at the gyn. Everything looked good. No ovarian cycts. Normal blood work. Just moved to MD and got a new gyn. Told her we'd been trying for more than a year. She said to try another 3 mo. and then come back and she'd prescribe Clomid. Didn't like her much... and didn't like her idea to wait another 3 mo. before trying anything.
About 3 mo. later I sought out a fertility clinic. The doc is one of the friendliest and most competent specialists I've ever come across. His degree from Johns Hopkins and he's in his early 50s, w a lot of experience. Asked my husband to do a sperm wash and I did blood work (to check hormone levels) and an HSG. Everything looks o.k. For years, I've worried that I may have endometriosis, but I've never had it verified.
My question is about what to do next. The doc is saying that, for the quickest and best results, we should just go straight ahead and do in vitro. He says we could do a laparoscopy to check for endometriosis, but the procedure may or may not give us more info. And if he finds and removed scar tissue ... that may or may not solve the problem. He says that taking Clomid would increase my monthly fertility chances from about 18% to about 25% per cycle. And it wouldn't help if there are any undiagnosed problems. My health insurance covers IVF, so this would be the most effective course of action. He says that his office has a 40% pregnancy success rate per IVF. His logic sounds convincing to me.
But my husband is suspicious. He thinks that docs always want to start out with surgery because "that's how they make money." I want to get pregnant soon. The clock is ticking. What do you think? Is IVF a good first treatment, or should it be reserved for later, after other things have been tried?
Good luck with your decision. May God bless you with the desire of your heart!
Also, IVF is not so simple and there is not gaurantee it will work first time. You may want a second opinion or check to be sure your insurance will cover it as a first option.
Good Luck!
I wish we would have jumped immediated to IVF when I was still 36 but instead we did the IUI's (5 to be exact) before moving onto IVF.
I'm now 38 (will be 39 in March '08!) and my eggs are cooperating less and less.
IVF also will help you determine the quality of your eggs and how well they fertilize.
My bestfriend from college is also doing IVF. She has beautiful eggs but HORRIBLE Endo which is making it tought to get pregnant.
Again, if you have the insurance coverage for IVF I would immediately go that route since it has the highest success rate and really gives you a good clue what is going on with your body.
Pam
My siblings all had kids in their early 20s. I went off and got a Ph.D. ... and you know, universities are full of female faculty who have no children. They work you to death, and make you hop around the country in search of job security. And before you know it, it's too late. My last teaching job ended in June and I'm taking a year off to write this year ... and to somehow get pregnant. So whatever happens, I really want it to happen this year.
I also have a very competent RE. He did not suggest Clomid (because we had been trying since 2003) but IUI first. He said that at any time we could do IVF, just say the word. After 2 failed IUIs, WE decided to run instead of walk and now we are on our 4th IVF. After doing the IVFs, we have found I am a low egg producer (something you don't know when you do IUI) and on top of DHs low morphology, our chances were pretty slim. I'll be honest, I regret doing the IUIs, wasting the time and money. I wish maybe we had done just one and then went to IVF. But you never know and you always have hope! This is only my opinion and you should do whatever you and your doctor agree on! For us, its about what is going to get us pregnant...IVF is our best choice. Good luck to you and your DH! My thoughts are with you!
I do have endometriosis and have been through 2 surgeries and they were way more invasive than IVF. Also my ins does not cover anything to do w/fertility. IVF is also my first ever fertility treatment (I started about a week ago). I wish I'd done it 6months ago when my RE first suggested it, but I had your exact same reservations. Why bring out the big guns, when we're not sure about other stuff working? IVF has a higher success rate and you'd just be wasting time trying to figure out if you do indeed have endo, if clomid would work, if IUIs would work. And your insurance covers it!! If my insurance would have covered it - we would have jumped right in, but we waited and my endo has gotten much worse. Also if you do have endo, miscarriages are a higher possibility even with natural conception. It doesn't matter how you get preggers, if you have endo, miscarriages are a bigger risk.
Good luck - these are hard decisions and the most important thing is that you are confident and comfortable with whatever you decide.